June 14th, 1997... It had been a terribly rainy couple of days in Newport. The night before we had our rehearsal dinner at OceanCliff. We had hoped to be outside and wow our guests with our lovely, tranquil island views... gorgeous sunsets and white sails floating in the horizon. But that was not to be the case on Friday, June 13th. Instead there was cold rain and fog. But we had a lovely ballroom with lovely guests, food and music. The following morning the fog was heavy and dense as it almost always is out on the water. I heard the fog horns from my bedroom windows and the seagulls overhead. It smelled of low tide and freshly brewed coffee. In my girly bedroom with white walls and Laura Ashley borders on the walls I looked around one last time...Within a couple of hours the fog lifted and the sun's rays started to poke through as it almost always does out on the water. Suddenly there was promise of a glorious, glorious day in Newport in June. How could it not be? I was getting married!
My dad, now retired, was many things in his life. In our New York days he had a very successful career, then when he retired from the city to make a permanent home in Rhode Island he took on a new life in politics. Not to worry, he was a good and decent politician who fought hard for Newport and Rhode Island. He fought with the good guys and against the corrupt, bad guys. He was still in politics when I got married and he officiated my wedding!
Below, my father walking me down the "aisle." I chose not to walk to the Wedding March, but rather the theme from Chariots of Fire... such a beautiful tune!
My wedding music was all hand-picked by me. I had many of the classics, Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Glenn Miller, Leonard Bernstein, Harry Connick Jr. and I would not have my wedding without Henry Mancini's Moon River... and there was plenty of Jimmy Buffet, Neil Diamond (Sweet Caroline), and other greats. No hip-hop. No funk and certainly no rap for this girl. I was fortunate and privileged to have The Lester Lanin Orchestra play for us. The food was fabulous, although I don't think I ate... and everything was fabulous.
It was, for me, the party of a lifetime. I would, if I could, do it all over again. It would be a dream to do it all over again... to invite those same friends and the newer ones we've met along the way... to have a Paladian tent and the orchestra again... maybe one day... maybe... Meantime I'll look at these pictures with a great big smile and wonderful, warm memories that will never fade.
Finally, we were married... let the party begin!
(Excuse these photos... while I have a scanner I do not know how to use it. It's in it's original packaging in the basement. Daddy has one too. It's way too complicated. So I took pictures of the pictures in my albums! Genius or what?! Quality not comparable, however!)
Below is a close-up of my dress that I had made and designed myself using dotted Swiss and silk organza. I wanted classic, clean and simple. I had Audrey Hepburn in mind... my collar and cuffs were over-sized for dramatic flair. The dotted Swiss on the arms and used over the silk was rather sheer. For buttons we used over-sized (faux) pearls. My sash was lined in a buttercup yellow to match the Brides Maids dresses. For the life of me I have no recollection of what I wore on my feet. Perhaps even the shoes I had worn when I was in my cousin's wedding the summer before. Or perhaps a pretty sandal with a kitten heel...
Lynne, my dressmaker, by my side...
Mingling with my friends...
Another dance... I just love that photo!
Below, my mother, grandmother and uncle and the dessert, a Croquembouche, a French dessert often served at times of celebration. This was a childhood favorite that I ate often in the summers in the South of France. Croquembouche is essentially little profiteroles filled with custard and piled into a triangular mound, drizzled with caramel. It's elegant, fun and festive. Each table had their very own Croquembouche and if you look below you will see little toothpicks attached to the cone. This was so people could casually pick theirs off. It was a huge hit!
Three generations (I'm an only child)My dressmaker also made my mother's dress.
When perusing through my pictures I couldn't help but notice how many had me holding a champagne or wine glass! Here I am helping myself to a (nother?) Bellini. I'm not even looking at what I am doing!
